Sioux Falls police prepare to launch 30 body cameras

Published
1:31 pm PDT, Wednesday, July 18, 2018

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — When Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot and killed by police four years ago in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, the incident sparked a national debate over the importance of officer accountability.

As that discussion continues, the Sioux Falls Police Department is set to roll out 30 body cameras in August after three years of testing the equipment, the Argus Leader reported.

Proponents of body cameras believe recording every interaction with the public will help reduce incidents of police brutality, or exonerate officers in certain cases by providing video and audio footage to be reviewed.

And while many police departments have embraced the technology, others claim the initial costs and continuing expenses for storage and processing are serious obstacles.

"At the end of the day, it's about how we can make Sioux Falls safer and how we can help these guys do their job better through technology," said TenHaken.

Police Chief Matt Burns said the city has been slow to adopt the technology due to "rigorous" testing in different environments, including inclement weather and various lighting conditions.

Initially, the technology will only be given to officers who don't currently have static car cameras, such as foot patrol and bicycle officers. But Burns said once the cameras are in use and operational costs are assessed, they could be implemented across the entire department.

Cameras may also be used in a newly formed outfit called the Narcotics Crime Unit.

"The end goal is public safety," TenHaken said. "If this improves public safety, if having cameras on the NCU improves public safety, we're all for it."

More than a dozen South Dakota cities have implemented body cameras or are in the process of doing so, including Rapid City, Aberdeen, Mitchell and Huron.

South Dakota law doesn't require a police department to release body camera footage unless it is being used as evidence in courtroom proceedings. And although it's unclear if using the cameras changes how officers interact with the public, their usefulness in the courtroom is undeniable.

Recently released body cam footage from a South Dakota State University police officer helped shed light on the September arrest of a female high school student in Brookings. The video showed officer Jason Baker restraining the 17-year-old and dislocating her wrist while her older sister watched.

The older sister was on trial for resisting arrest during the incident, but the charge against her was dropped after the video was shown during court proceedings. Baker defended his actions during court testimony, insisting that he stopped the women due to suspicious behavior.

"(The footage) completely changed our opinion of what happened," said Melissa Mentele, mother of the girls involved. "It changes everything, it changes timelines and I think it's really important that police use these things in a way that's not only beneficial to them, but to people who are committing crimes, and the innocent."

In Huron, where 22 body cameras were rolled out in 2016 after more than three years of testing, the impact has been felt. A complaint against an officer's conduct was verified by footage, and the officer was reprimanded. Since then there have been no further complaints lodged against him.

"It's important that we live up to higher standards," Huron Detective Capt. Casey Spinsby said. "And the cameras help with that."

The cameras also help officers in collecting and preserving evidence. Court appearances can be anywhere from six to eight months away from the initial arrest, and having footage of the incident helps refresh an officer's memory.

Aberdeen was one of the first police departments in the nation to implement the technology, outfitting each of the city's 40 patrol officers with cameras in 2010.

"After the experience we've had with these cameras, we consider them invaluable and our officers wouldn't want to go back on the streets without them," Aberdeen Capt. Eric Duven said.

Outfitting the Aberdeen officers took fewer than two years from planning to implementation. Annual costs are around $50,000, including storage for the footage, maintenance and upgrades, Duven said.

Some national research has been critical of body cameras' effectiveness when it comes to impacting officer behavior and public interactions.

According to a 2016 study by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, while outfitting officers with cameras did initially lower their use of force, the reductions disappeared after only six months. The study posited it may be due to officers growing comfortable with the equipment and their behavior returning to normal.

There have been 45 officer-involved shootings in South Dakota since 2001, according to the state attorney general's office. In 2015, a Mitchell resident died in a confrontation with police officer Russell Stevenson, who was responding to a noise complaint.

Stevenson's body camera was inactive when he encountered Curtis James Meyer sitting on a curb alone, appearing to hold a handgun. A struggle for the weapon ensued, leading to Meyer's death. The state's Division of Criminal Investigation later released a report concluding that the fatal shooting was justified.

As Sioux Falls prepares to add body camera technology, Burns points out that implementation is not cut and dry. There are a lot of factors to consider, from storage costs to when officers are able to record.

Though there are policies in place for static car cameras, utilizing body cams means officers recording in new areas, such as hospitals and schools. It's possible that privacy policies will be reworked with feedback from community members and stakeholders.

Rapid City is also planning on implementing wearable cameras. The department hopes to roll out the cameras this month. Officer Brendyn Medina is optimistic about the benefits of body cams, adding that he thinks more law enforcement agencies will continue to implement them across the state.

"I think people just realize this is the modern evolution of law enforcement," Medina said.